Las Vegas - trying to do vegas right

i finally convinced my wife to try another trip to vegas and she has a list of things she wants if she decides to do the trip. Its our second time, our first time was a mess. We walked around doing the tourist thing and she hated it. The things that we want to avoid this time around is
party goers, stags, stagettes and the like
mobs of people
WALKING ON THE STRIP
casino's and hotels with revealing servers or dealers.


things we would like to experience this time around are
fine dining/piano bar
nice rooms
spa
shows
shopping
I will be playing blackjack at 50 dollars a hand but can up it too a 100 if theirs a good relaxing HL room that the wife can sit relax and enjoy some fine wine without being bothered.

We were thinking about the mandarin oriental and then I could walk to bellagio to gamble. I was also thinking possibly the four seasons although i don't think the mandalay bay casino is as nice as bellagio's. I have never been to wynn and encore so I have no idea about those and of course bellagio.

If these are things that are possible to do and avoid then let met know because this is our make it or break it trip to las vegas. All help is greatly appreciated

Avoiding party goers - No chance of that in Vegas :p The best you can do is pick the right hotel (not a young, rowdy crowd), make sure you're not going during a spring break week, and avoid hotels/casinos with "hot" clubs after dinner.

Avoiding mobs of people -Again, no chance of that in Vegas. Go here (http://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com/planning-tools/convention-calendar/) and try to find a week with a relatively small number of conventions in town.

Avoiding walking on the strip - The Deuce seems to be a better option than the Monorail.

Avoiding casinos with scantily clad dealers - I think you'll need to stay away from PH for sure. Palazzo/Venetian/Wynn/Encore/Cosmopolitan don't seem to have any of these.

Avoiding casinos with scantily clad servers - I'm not sure if there's any casino where you can find this. It's all a matter of degrees. I've never been there, but you'll probably want to avoid Hooters :)

Spa - I've been to the Canyon Ranch spa @ Venetian/Palazzo many times. Great service/facilities.

Nice rooms - Palazzo/Venetian/Wynn/Encore/Cosmopolitan all have fabulous rooms. Cosmo is the newest hotel, but Wynn is in the process of refurbishing all of their rooms. But even their old rooms were fabulous.

By HL, do you mean high limit?

thx for all the help and I know its a tall order but I should clarify
on avoiding party goers I mean avoiding screaming college students running around
On avoiding walking the strip i mean staying somewhere that we have most of the things we want to do in one hotel or very close i.e. Mandarin oriental and aria.
for the scantily clad servers at casino's i mean where the service is more fine dining then hooters and which of these casinos would fit that bill the best.
does bellagio fit these things? or would encore be a better choice.
By HL i did mean high limit. From what i hear table mins for blackjack are $100's during the day and morning?

Maybe check out an upscale off-strip choice like the M or jw marriott?

Avoiding walking on the strip - The Deuce seems to be a better option than the Monorail.

Could be wrong, but I don't the OP has getting on a city bus as part of his vacation itinerary....

trying to stay in one hotel or taxi it just because i had horrible experience last time trying to monorail/walk/take the deuce around the strip

IMO, The Four Seasons is the best of both worlds. It's a non-casino hotel, great spa, great views of the strip, private entrance. And if you want a casino, it sits right on top of the Mandalay Bay, so you can head right down there for the more typical Vegas experience.

would you say the mandalay bay casino is on par with bellagio/encore in terms of class?

It's Vegas: none of them are classy. Some of them just have high limits. We're talking popular musicians, professional athletes, and "celebutantes," not class.

Venetian and Palazzo aren't a bad option either, OP. All of the rooms are spacious (suite only) and there are lots of good dining choices around. Spa is quite nice and it's not too far from the shopping at Caesar's Palace. They have their own shopping mall too but not as extensive. Leans towards an Asian clientele, but as long as you stay away from Tao nightclub, you should be fine.

Depending on how long you play Blackjack, at your level of play ($50-$100), you won't be comped everything but you'd get some free meals and a partial credit towards your room. They do have a $200/hand minimum 2 deck game with great rules if you're really serious about blackjack. Last time I stayed there, my ex blew through an amazing hour where she came up $11,000 from that table.

i heard about that 2 deck game before but sadly its a little out my reach right now unless luck is on my side but no plans their.
so noone has any idea on whether bellagio/encore/pallazo has decently dressed server's or is this just sumpthing my wife will have to live with if we go

All of the dealers at the places you listed are very conservatively dressed, harmeet.

Oh, the servers! Umm, Bellagio's servers are decently dressed, IIRC . . .

Are you really sure you want to do this? It's kind of like going the beach when you really don't like sand and water. I think you may be setting yourself up for failure if you think your wife is going to be entertained for more than about 15 minutes watching you play blackjack in the high limit area away from the unwashed masses. If you really want to go, you may be better off with a guys trip sometime.

My requirements are basically the same as yours and my wife and I have had no problem meeting them. But we do walk the strip and we do like to soak up some of the visual kitschiness of it all. Taking away the gambling, which it doesn't sound like your wife is in to, and maybe the shows, it seems like you'd be better off at some more-exclusive resort elsewhere.

I largely agree with donnde -- particularly that Mrs. harmeet is going to get very bored very quickly watching you play BJ.

If you want to go, I'd do the Mandarin Oriental for the following reasons:

Very good spa
Very good bar
Close to fancy (but limited) shopping at Crystals with not much Strip walking
Close to pretty good restaurants at Aria next door (or the super fancy one at the MO)
Close to Bellagio for you

Where did you stay last time OP?

MO is a good choice for sure. Luxury hotel with top notch rooms, but no gaming and hence no comps for you. FS is always a great option on a global basis, but the Vegas hotel rooms are in need of a redo I believe. So I give the Mandarin the edge. Wynn/Encore probably has the best rooms inside a true casino hotel. Excellent dining choices and the shops are either across the street or inside Palazzo next door.

we decided on the MO and using aria as a casino.
I wanted to try encore but the no smoking rule at MO pushed us to that incase my wifes asthma acts up!
I stayed at vdara last time but found we had to walk all the way to bellagio to do anything and that touring different hotels such as cesars was not an effective way to enjoy our vacation. Hopefully we will try the restaurant at the mo and also any idea on if they have a car service from the airport?
anyone know table limits for black jack at aria's high limit?

we decided on the MO and using aria as a casino.
I wanted to try encore but the no smoking rule at MO pushed us to that incase my wifes asthma acts up!
I stayed at vdara last time but found we had to walk all the way to bellagio to do anything and that touring different hotels such as cesars was not an effective way to enjoy our vacation. Hopefully we will try the restaurant at the mo and also any idea on if they have a car service from the airport?
anyone know table limits for black jack at aria's high limit?

Hi

Yes the MO offer an airport pick up at about USD 80 one way in an S class Mercedes. Good thing about the airport pick up is that you can in room check in (not sure if they still do that)

MO has a free house car available on first come first serve basis for trips on the strip.

The SPA is going down a little :
- No more amenity bag
- No more handwritten thanks note from the therapist at the end of the massage.
However this is still my favorite SPA in Vegas. As indicated by most people you can almost have the entire SPA for yourself as this is relatively empty
Encore SPA is coming second.

MO sounds like a good choice for your wife. Encore Tower Suites would also be good, although on nights when Surrender is open if you go into the casino you have to deal with an energetic crowd of well-dressed young people waiting to get in after 10pm. PM me if you want a referral for a casino host at Aria or Encore.

Hi

Yes the MO offer an airport pick up at about USD 80 one way in an S class Mercedes. Good thing about the airport pick up is that you can in room check in (not sure if they still do that)

MO has a free house car available on first come first serve basis for trips on the strip.

The SPA is going down a little :
- No more amenity bag
- No more handwritten thanks note from the therapist at the end of the massage.
However this is still my favorite SPA in Vegas. As indicated by most people you can almost have the entire SPA for yourself as this is relatively empty
Encore SPA is coming second.

+1 on the MO Spa. I spent an afternoon there, and it was lovely. Great facility, and empty (Men's side) on a Thursday afternoon. (It actually, might have been a Friday...)

The Baccarat Bar at the Bellagio is nice for drinks and live jazz. They usually have a jazz trio.

I believe there is a solo pianist at the petrossian bar, but it kind of feels like it is in the middle of traffic between the conservatory and the casino. I much prefer the Baccarat.

In either case you will need to navigate through public areas which will have everything you are trying to avoid.

I second the suggestion of staying off strip, at the M, etc. I personally like the South Point but it may be below your speed. I believe your level of play would get you treated pretty well at any of those places.

i finally convinced my wife to try another trip to vegas and she has a list of things she wants if she decides to do the trip. Its our second time, our first time was a mess. We walked around doing the tourist thing and she hated it. The things that we want to avoid this time around is
party goers, stags, stagettes and the like
mobs of people
WALKING ON THE STRIP
casino's and hotels with revealing servers or dealers.


things we would like to experience this time around are
fine dining/piano bar
nice rooms
spa
shows
shopping
I will be playing blackjack at 50 dollars a hand but can up it too a 100 if theirs a good relaxing HL room that the wife can sit relax and enjoy some fine wine without being bothered.

We were thinking about the mandarin oriental and then I could walk to bellagio to gamble. I was also thinking possibly the four seasons although i don't think the mandalay bay casino is as nice as bellagio's. I have never been to wynn and encore so I have no idea about those and of course bellagio.

If these are things that are possible to do and avoid then let met know because this is our make it or break it trip to las vegas. All help is greatly appreciated

There's something strangely alluring about this post. I don't know if it's the lack of correct punctuation or that he thinks playing $100 will get you into a high limit kind of room. It's all so... Misguided. Especially for Vegas.


Carry on,



BN

The Baccarat Bar at the Bellagio is nice for drinks and live jazz. They usually have a jazz trio.


They have also been closed for about a year and half, replaced now with Hyde Lounge

They have also been closed for about a year and half, replaced now with Hyde Lounge

Wasn't it the Fontana that was replaced?

you are right... my bad

And don't forget the Wicked Spoon buffet at the Cosmopolitan. Another option is a nice suite (the upgraded larger ones) at Vdara -- another non-gambling hotel nearby. But it sounds like Vdara might be a bit trendy, young-skewing for you. When I was there, there were a lot of 20-something Silicon Valley types.

we decided on the MO and using aria as a casino.
I wanted to try encore but the no smoking rule at MO pushed us to that incase my wifes asthma acts up!
I stayed at vdara last time but found we had to walk all the way to bellagio to do anything and that touring different hotels such as cesars was not an effective way to enjoy our vacation. Hopefully we will try the restaurant at the mo and also any idea on if they have a car service from the airport?
anyone know table limits for black jack at aria's high limit?

If you are looking for a high limit, more private, quiet experience, look to spend minimum of $300 a hand. Busy Saturday night, might be closer to $500.

On a busy Saturday $50 a hand will get you a seat at the first available table, as the limited are likely to be $50 on most low end tables.

Oops....

I must be the only person who goes to vegas with gambling not #1 on my mind.

In fact I am looking at a weekend trip. Fly in on Friday (arrive about 11 A.M), Depart Sunday or Monday.


I want to....
-mountain bike through red rock canyon and see death valley (arrive back in Vegas by 6pm)
-drive a lambo
-do the stunt flying thing
-stratosphere entertainment rides
-new york new york coaster?

And yeah, MAYBE try and find a $10 blackjack table.......?

and of course be a tourist (downtown roof display show, treasure island pirate show, mirage volcano, bellagio fountains)


But with a 3 or 4 day vacation I don't even think I will have much time to gamble. I am disappointed that I won't really have enough money to gamble though. I was saddened to hear you can't find $2 or $5 tables easily. $10-25 table minimums = no way man. Losing streak there could be a $200 or $300 problem.

High limit for a $100 a hand LMAO. Maybe downtown........

I don't think you have time for Death Valley -- it's 120 miles each way on 2-lane highways, plus the park itself is huge. To really experience it you need to take at least a few short hikes, which will take even more time.

High limit for a $100 a hand LMAO. Maybe downtown........

At midrange Strip properties? You can find them. I've seen $100/hand tables at TI. Even Mirage during the day. Of course, at a place like Wynn and Bellagio, $100 tables are out on the main floor like a $5 or $10 table is in most other joints.

At midrange Strip properties? You can find them. I've seen $100/hand tables at TI. Even Mirage during the day. Of course, at a place like Wynn and Bellagio, $100 tables are out on the main floor like a $5 or $10 table is in most other joints.

$5 Tables are virtually nonexistent at any nice place on the strip, other than on a weekday morning or afternoon, or with special (read lesser) payouts on Blackjacks.

If you really want to play $5 tables on the strip at night or on a weekend, you're looking at places like the Imperial Palace, Riviera, or Flamingo, Circus Circus, or Excalibur.

They have also been closed for about a year and half, replaced now with Hyde Lounge

No, not true. The Baccarat bar is still there, I was just there, it was the FONTANA lounge that has been closed and replaced with the Hyde Lounge.

and of course be a tourist (downtown roof display show, treasure island pirate show, mirage volcano, bellagio fountains)

if you're short on time, skip the pirate show at TI. They tried to "spice" it up a bit and have failed miserably.

HL at Club Prive inside Aria starts at $200/hand IIRC and goes up from there depending on day/time.

there is a lot of good food in vegas...it may take a bit of shuttling to different hotels to get to the best of them. the new jose andreas restaurants in cosmo appear to be good, craftsteak at mgm has some of the best steaks in the US, raku is the best non-strip restaurant (but may not be up your alley), then there's places like masa, bouchon, the buffets, etc etc...

for shopping you'll be best off staying near citycenter (whether it be aria/cosmo/bellagio) or near venetian/wynn. i would not stay at four seasons if your plan is to walk to mandalay...the casino there doesn't hold a candle to bellagio/wynn/venetian...

if you do stay at bellagio, the petrossian bar is worth going to for either the caviar tasting or the afternoon tea...just try to get a table where you're not facing the lights of the slot machines (seriously the dumbest move that bellagio made when making what could have been a really, really, nice bar).

Are you really sure you want to do this? It's kind of like going the beach when you really don't like sand and water. I think you may be setting yourself up for failure if you think your wife is going to be entertained for more than about 15 minutes watching you play blackjack in the high limit area away from the unwashed masses. If you really want to go, you may be better off with a guys trip sometime.

My requirements are basically the same as yours and my wife and I have had no problem meeting them. But we do walk the strip and we do like to soak up some of the visual kitschiness of it all. Taking away the gambling, which it doesn't sound like your wife is in to, and maybe the shows, it seems like you'd be better off at some more-exclusive resort elsewhere.

+1

We are in Vegas now, and I can see no way that you are going to meet your wife's requirements, up to and including your flight. We have never been on a flight without stags and stagettes, rhinestone tiara's, tank tops, and all. The POINT of Vegas is all the stuff you are trying to avoid, so really, why come here?

As I am guessing coming without the wife may not be an option, why not find a resort (Aruba for example) where you can get all that you want- and there is way less to avoid? I don't gamble enough to offer recommendations but there certainly should be places with tables more in line with your limits.

My husband knows I have a 3 day Vegas limit- after that the noise and crowds just get to me. But in those 3 days I enjoy it, avoid none of it, and find there is a unique appeal to it. It DOESN'T sound like that will be the case for you, so the best recommendation is not where to stay - it is where else you should go.

I will be playing blackjack at 50 dollars a hand but can up it too a 100 if theirs a good relaxing HL room that the wife can sit relax and enjoy some fine wine without being bothered.

I usually gamble at Club Prive in Bellagio; it's often quiet and relaxing although it can get busy at times. Those accompanying gamblers can sit at the lounge tables (just ask). However, the limits there will be at least $100 for the 6-deck shoes even in the daytime on weekdays, and usually at least $300 on weekends and possibly even on weekday nights.


HL at Club Prive inside Aria starts at $200/hand IIRC and goes up from there depending on day/time.

I think you're referring to Carta Privada. Club Prive is the high-limit blackjack lounge at Bellagio.

Just as a note, Privada limits can get pretty ridiculous on weekends, sometimes $500 min.


My husband knows I have a 3 day Vegas limit...

That's a very generous limit, your husband is a lucky man. I mean heck even some of my male buddies have a 3-day Vegas limit...... :p